p.s. for architecture a 90 mm lens wouldn't be bad either. For that you may want a recessed lensboard and bag bellows too. I do lots of my architecture shooting with 135 so don't rush into buying shorter lens until you have convinced yoruself you need it. I took 30 years to get to that realization, and even then I rarely use it.
I've used both the Norma and the Arcas (Discovery and B/C model). I find the Arca's a bit easier to use, but the Norma is a great camera and you can't go wrong with any of the above.
There is what looks like a very nice Sinar Norma on ebay right now with a Fujinon 180mm f/5.6 lens with 5 days left. There are no bids yet with starting price at $599.99 or $660.00 buy it now with free shipping. I figure the lens is probably worth close to $200.00. You could always sell it if you didn't want it.
For comparison I paid about $600.00 for my Sinar P with a Schneider 210mm f/5.6 lens.
I don't know the Seller personally but he has 100% positive feedback and has sold a few things. The item # is 230832327227. If you are interested you could contact the Seller and ask a few questions.
Cambo/Calumets are nice and they are cheap nowadays but I have owned both and I feel it is worth the extra money to step up to Sinar if you can afford it.
It isn't that the other cameras are bad - in fact a Linhof monorail can be the best if you are looking for sheer build quality - but the Sinars, and to a lessor extent the Toyos and Cambos, have a ready supply of bag bellows, lens boards, extension rails and more readily available from eBay, KEH, MPEX, this forum's Buy & Sell section, etc.
Fatif from Italy makes a wonderful camera but it might take you years to find a replacement bellows or rail for it.
All of the "name brands" are good cameras so buy the one in best shape. Some Sinars and others have been ridden very hard and put away wet so use some horse sense (pardon the lousy pun).
I have a Cambo 45 SC and I love it, but I have never tried to pack it around. Not that you can't, just a lot heavier and harder to set up then my Crown Graphic so I have never bothered. It does fit well in my little Case Logic backpack so I may have to try it out.
Of course if I am working out of my van and not hiking around who knows what I'll carry.
I've got a Cambo 4x5 monorail and previously had a Sinar F2. In my infinitely-less-knowledgable-than-these-other-guys experience, I would pick the Cambo over the Sinar if I planned to go hiking any significant distance. My Cambo weighs half the weight of the Sinar and will fold up/pack up much smaller. If hiking was a secondary use of the camera, I would possibly go for a Sinar again. But the Sinar is clearly a better made camera and there are a ton of parts available for it.
That said, I really like the Cambo and I've seen half a ton of parts available for it here and on the auction site. I have this model (Cambo 45NX apparently):
It's not as "precise" as the Sinar but it does what it's meant to do and I'm happy with that.
You bring up a very good point, Welly. The Cambo 45NX is extremely light for a monorail.
Sorry, but no way does the Cambo weigh half what the Sinar F2 does. According to the Cambo 45n/nx review on this very forum the Cambo weighs nine pounds and the Sinar F1/2 weighs about seven and a half pounds. Before you flame me, look it up.
While I'm up here on my soap box, why would anyone recommend a camera (Fatif) that "will take years to find a replacement bellows for". Yeah, it's a nice camera but...
Russ, please re-read what Frank P. wrote and you'll be fine.
JD
Wow - thank you -everyone- for all the feedback and thoughtfull responses!
From my running tally of opinions/Suggestions:
Toyo G/GII
Chamonix
Graphic ViewII x2
Sinar Norma x3
Arca Swiss C x2
Arca Discovery
Arca F
Sinar F x2
Cambo 45 SC
Cambo 45 NX
I looked at the ebay listing mentioned above by Alan re: the Sinar Norma.... but it only has a 9" rail. Are they extendable? I also found a 16" rail and another 9" rail... if they're extendable (i.e. you can connect the two rails) having 2x 9" rails would be perfect. This would add ~$70 to the price of the kit and its already over my allowed budget... bit if its the right system, I'd rather buy it once than buying twice...
I found a couple nice looking ToyoG's for $350 or $400 with a rear 45degree hood and 90mm wideangle (with some fungus)
The Graphic View II seems to have rather limited shift and swing... but not having any experience with those movements - I dont know how sufficient that would be
more research to do
Thanks ALL!!
Norma rails are interchangable with later Sinar rails. Bellows will generally interchange too.
So you can either extend or compress the system. For wide angle work Sinar offers a bag
bellows, and the nice thing is that there is a lot of used Sinar components for sale quite
reasonably at the moment. The original Norma tapered bellows was quite versatile and might mitigate the need for a separate bag versus long bellows. I use mine from 90mm to
450mm lenses. But finding Norma gear in good condition takes a bit more patience than
locating later Sinar gear, and expect to do a tune up if you do find it.
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